Conlu vs. Aredonia, Jr.

SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 657
7/22/15, 3:46 PM
A.C. No. 4955.September 12, 2011.*
ANTONIO CONLU, complainant, vs. ATTY. IRENEO

AREDONIA, JR., respondent.
Legal Ethics; Attorneys; Once they agree to take up the cause of
a client, lawyers, regardless of the importance of the subject matter
litigated or financial arrangements agreed upon, owe fidelity to such
cause and should always be mindful of the trust and confidence
reposed on them; The duty of counsel to serve the client with
competence and diligence includes not merely reviewing the cases
entrusted to the counsels care and giving the client sound legal
advice, but also properly representing the client in court, attending
scheduled hearings, preparing and filing required pleadings,
prosecuting the handled cases with reasonable dispatch, and urging
their termination without waiting for the client or the court to prod
him or her to do so.Res ipsa loquitur. Atty. Ireneo had doubtless
been languid in the performance of his duty as Antonios counsel.
He neglected,
_______________
**
Designated Acting Member per Special Order No. 1074 dated 6
September 2011.
***
Designated Acting Member per Special Order No. 1066 dated 23
August 2011.
* THIRD DIVISION.
368
368
SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Conlu vs. Aredonia, Jr.
http://central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014eb4b09d580651c30d000a0094004f00ee/p/AML752/?username=Guest
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without reason, to file the appellants brief before the CA. He failed,
in short, to exert his utmost ability and to give his full commitment
to maintain and defend Antonios right. Antonio, by choosing Atty.
Ireneo to represent him, relied upon and reposed his trust and
confidence on the latter, as his counsel, to do whatsoever was legally
necessary to protect Antonios interest, if not to secure a favorable
judgment. Once they agree to take up the cause of a client, lawyers,
regardless of the importance of the subject matter litigated or
financial arrangements agreed upon, owe fidelity to such cause and
should always be mindful of the trust and confidence reposed on
them. And to add insult to injury, Atty. Ireneo appeared not to have
taken any effort to personally apprise Antonio of the dismissal of
the appeal, however personally embarrassing the cause for the
dismissal might have been. As mentioned earlier, Antonio came to
know about the outcome of his appeal only after his wife took the
trouble of verifying the case status when she came to Manila. By
then, all remedies had been lost. It must be remembered that a
retained counsel is expected to serve the client with
competence and diligence. This duty includes not merely
reviewing the cases entrusted to the counsels care and giving the
client sound legal advice, but also properly representing the client
in court, attending scheduled hearings, preparing and filing
required pleadings, prosecuting the handled cases with
reasonable dispatch, and urging their termination without waiting
for the client or the court to prod him or her to do so. The lawyer
should not be sitting idly by and leave the rights of the client in a
state of uncertainty.
Same; Same; Negligence; The failure to file a brief resulting in
the dismissal of an appeal constitutes inexcusable negligence.The
failure to file a brief resulting in the dismissal of an appeal
constitutes inexcusable negligence. This default translates to a
violation of the injunction of Canon 18, Rules 18.03 and 18.04 of the
Code of Professional Responsibility, respectively providing: CANON
18 A LAWYER SHALL SERVE HIS CLIENT WITH
COMPETENCE AND DILIGENCE. x x x x Rule 18.03 A lawyer
shall not neglect a matter entrusted to him, and his negligence in
connection therewith shall render him liable. Rule 18.04 A
lawyer shall keep the client informed of the status of his case and
shall respond within a reasonable time to the clients request for
information.
369
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VOL. 657, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
369
Same; Same; As if his lack of candor in his professional

relationship with Antonio was not abhorrent enough, respondent
lawyer tried to mislead the appellate court about the receipt of a copy
of its Resolution dismissing the appeal.As if his lack of candor in
his professional relationship with Antonio was not abhorrent
enough, Atty. Ireneo tried to mislead the appellate court about the
receipt of a copy of its February 10, 1997 Resolution dismissing the
appeal in CA-G.R. CV No. 50075. He denied personally receiving
such copy, but the CA found and declared that he himself received
said copy. The CA arrived at this conclusion thru the process of
comparing Atty. Ireneos signature appearing in the pleadings with
that in the registry return card. Both signatures belong to one and
the same person. Needless to stress, Atty. Ireneo had under the
premises indulged in deliberate falsehood, contrary to the selfexplanatory prescriptions of Canon 1, Rule 1.01 and Canon 10, Rule
10.01
Same; Same; Disbarment; The Courts patience has been tested
to the limit by what in hindsight amounts to a lawyers impudence
and disrespectful bentrespondent lawyer can neither defeat the
Courts jurisdiction over him as a member of the bar nor evade
administrative liability by the mere ruse of concealing his
whereabouts.The Courts patience has been tested to the limit by
what in hindsight amounts to a lawyers impudence and
disrespectful bent. At the minimum, members of the legal fraternity
owe courts of justice respect, courtesy and such other becoming
conduct so essential in the promotion of orderly, impartial and
speedy justice. What Atty. Ireneo has done was the exact opposite.
What is clear to the Court by now is that Ireneo was determined all
along not to submit a comment and, in the process, delay the
resolution of the instant case. By asking several extensions of time
to submit one, but without the intention to so submit, Ireneo has
effectively trifled with the Courts processes, if not its liberality.
This cannot be tolerated. It cannot be allowed to go unpunished, if
the integrity and orderly functioning of the administration of justice
is to be maintained. And to be sure, Atty. Ireneo can neither defeat
this Courts jurisdiction over him as a member of the bar nor evade
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whereabouts. Manifestly, he has fallen short of the diligence

required of every member of the Bar.
Same; Same; Same; Damages; A prayer for damages cannot be
granted in disbarment proceedingsa proceeding for disbarment or
suspension is not in any sense a civil action as it is undertaken and
370
370

prosecuted for public welfare and it does not involve private interest
and affords no redress for private grievance.The prayer for
damages cannot be granted. Let alone the fact that Antonio chose
not to file his position paper before the IBP-CBD and, therefore,
was unable to satisfactorily prove his claim for damages, a
proceeding for disbarment or suspension is not in any sense a civil
action; it is undertaken and prosecuted for public welfare. It does
not involve private interest and affords no redress for private
grievance.
ADMINISTRATIVE CASE in the Supreme Court.

Disbarment.
The facts are stated in the resolution of the Court.
RESOLUTION
VELASCO, JR.,J.:
Before the Court is a complaint1 for disbarment with a
prayer for damages instituted by Antonio Conlu (Antonio)
against Atty. Ireneo Aredonia, Jr. (Atty. Ireneo) on grounds
of gross negligence and dereliction of sworn duty.
Antonio was the defendant in Civil Case No. 1048, a suit
for Quieting of Title and Recovery of a Parcel of Land
commenced before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Silay
City, Negros Occidental.2 He engaged the services of Atty.
Ireneo to represent him in the case. On March 16, 1995, the
RTC rendered judgment3 adverse to Antonio. Therefrom,
Atty. Ireneo, for Antonio, appealed to the Court of Appeals
(CA) whereat the recourse was docketed as CA-G.R. CV No.
50075.
The CA, per its Resolution of February 10, 1997,
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eventually dismissed the appeal for non-filing of the

appellants brief within the reglementary period. Antonio
got wind of the dismissal from his wife who verified the
status of the case when
_______________
1 Rollo, pp. 1-6, dated September 14, 1998.
2 Id., at pp. 43-48, Complaint dated December 14, 1983.
3 Id., at pp. 18-22.
371
371

she happened to be in Manila. When confronted about the
dismissal action, Atty. Ireneo promised to seek
reconsideration, which he did, but which the appellate
court later denied for belated filing of the motion.
In that motion4 he prepared and filed, Atty. Ireneo
averred receiving the adverted February 10, 1997 CA
Resolution5 only on April 25, 1997, adding in this regard
that the person in the law office who initially received a
copy of said resolution was not so authorized. However, the
CA denied the motion for having been filed out of time. As
the CA would declare in a subsequent resolution dated
December 3, 1997, there was a valid receipt by Atty. Ireneo,
as shown by the registry return card with his signature, of
a copy of the CAs February 10, 1997 Resolution.
Accordingly, as the CA wrote, the motion for
reconsideration of the February resolution which bore the
mailing date May 8, 1997 cannot but be considered as filed
way out of time.
In light of these successive setbacks, a disgusted Antonio
got the case records back from Atty. Ireneo and personally
filed on October 13, 1997 another motion for
reconsideration. By Resolution of December 3, 1997, the CA
again denied6 this motion for the reason that the
prejudicial impact of the belated filing by his former
counsel of the first motion for reconsideration binds
Antonio.
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Forthwith, Antonio elevated his case to the Court on a

petition for certiorari but the Court would later dismiss the
petition and his subsequent motion to reconsider the
denial.
Such was the state of things when Antonio lodged this
instant administrative case for disbarment with a prayer
for damages. To support his claim for damages, Antonio
asserts having suffered sleepless nights, mental torture
and anguish as a result of Atty. Ireneos erring ways,
besides which Anto_______________
4 Id., at pp. 23-25, dated May 5, 1997.
5 Id., at p. 167.
6 Id., at pp. 27-29.
372
372

nio also lost a valuable real property subject of Civil Case

No. 1048.
Following Atty. Ireneos repeated failure to submit, as
ordered, his comment, a number of extensions of time given
notwithstanding,7 the Court referred the instant case,
docketed as Administrative Case No. 4955, to its Office of
the Bar Confidant (OBC) for evaluation, report and
recommendation.
Acting on OBCs Report and Recommendation8 dated
November 23, 2000, the Court, by Resolution of January
31, 2001, directed Atty. Ireneo to show cause within ten
(10) days from noticelater successively extended via
Resolutions dated July 16 and 29, 2002why he should not
be disciplinarily dealt with or held in contempt for failing
to file his comment and to comply with the filing of it.
In separate resolutions, the Court (a) imposed on Atty.
Ireneo a fine of PhP 2,000;9 (b) ordered his arrest but which
the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) cannot effect
for the reason: whereabouts unknown;10 (c) considered
him as having waived his right to file comment; and (d)
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referred the administrative case to the Integrated Bar of

the Philippines (IBP) for report, investigation and
recommendation.11
At the IBP, Atty. Ireneo desisted from addressing his
administrative case, his desistance expressed by not
attending the mandatory conference or filing the required
position paper. On the basis of the pleadings, the IBPCommission on
_______________
7 Id., at p. 118 (Motion for Extension of Time to File Comment, dated
December 14, 1998), at p. 121 (Motion for Second and Last Extension of
Time to File Comment, dated December 23, 1998), at pp. 124-125 (Motion
to be Furnished Documents/Clarification and Extension of Time, dated
January 13, 1999), and at pp. 128-129 (Motion for Reconsideration).
8 Id., at pp. 175-179.
9 Id., at p. 187.
10 Id., at p. 195.
11 Id., at p. 210.
373
373

Bar Discipline (CBD) found Ireneo liable for violating
Canon 1, Rules 1.01 and 1.03 and Canon 18, Rule 18.03 of
the Code of Professional Responsibility and recommended
his suspension from the practice of law for a period of six
(6) months, with warning. The salient portions of the
investigating
commissioners
Report
and
12
Recommendation read as follows:
Uncontroverted and uncontested are respondents inability to
file appellants Brief, his futile attempts to mislead the Court of
Appeals that he did not personally received [sic] the resolution of
dismissal. His filing of the Motion for Reconsideration five (5)
months late. [sic]
Aggravated by his failure to file his comment in the instant
administrative complaint despite his numerous motions for
extension to file the same. [sic]
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He is even adamant to comply with the show cause order of the

bar confidant. The series of snobbish actuations in several
resolution of the Supreme Court enjoining him to make the
necessary pleading. [sic]
By Resolution No. XVIII-2008-523, the IBP Board of

Governors adopted and approved said report and
recommendation of the CBD.13
We agree with the inculpatory findings of the IBP but
not as to the level of the penalty it recommended.
Res ipsa loquitur. Atty. Ireneo had doubtless been
languid in the performance of his duty as Antonios counsel.
He neglected, without reason, to file the appellants brief
before the CA. He failed, in short, to exert his utmost
ability and to give his full commitment to maintain and
defend Antonios right. Antonio, by choosing Atty. Ireneo to
represent him, relied upon and reposed his trust and
confidence on the latter, as his counsel, to do whatsoever
was legally necessary to protect Antonios interest, if not to
secure a favorable judgment. Once
_______________
12 Dated September 1, 2008.
13 Dated October 9, 2008.
374
374

they agree to take up the cause of a client, lawyers,

regardless of the importance of the subject matter litigated
or financial arrangements agreed upon, owe fidelity to such
cause and should always be mindful of the trust and
confidence reposed on them.14 And to add insult to injury,
Atty. Ireneo appeared not to have taken any effort to
personally apprise Antonio of the dismissal of the appeal,
however personally embarrassing the cause for the
dismissal might have been. As mentioned earlier, Antonio
came to know about the outcome of his appeal only after
his wife took the trouble of verifying the case status when
she came to Manila. By then, all remedies had been lost.
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It must be remembered that a retained counsel is

expected to serve the client with competence and
diligence. This duty includes not merely reviewing the
cases entrusted to the counsels care and giving the client
sound legal advice, but also properly representing the
client in court, attending scheduled hearings, preparing
and filing required pleadings, prosecuting the handled
cases with reasonable dispatch, and urging their
termination without waiting for the client or the court to
prod him or her to do so. The lawyer should not be sitting
idly by and leave the rights of the client in a state of
uncertainty.15
The failure to file a brief resulting in the dismissal of an
appeal constitutes inexcusable negligence.16 This default
translates to a violation of the injunction of Canon 18,
Rules 18.03 and 18.04 of the Code of Professional
Responsibility, respectively providing:
_______________
14 Canon 17, Code of Professional Responsibility, as cited Angalan v.
Delante, A.C. No. 7181, February 6, 2009, 578 SCRA 113, 127.
15 Overgaard v. Valdez, A.C. No. 7902, March 31, 2009, 582 SCRA
567, 578.
16 Perla Cia. De Seguros, Inc. v. Saquilabon, 337 Phil. 555; 271 SCRA
109 (1997).
375
375

CANON 18 A LAWYER SHALL SERVE HIS CLIENT WITH
COMPETENCE AND DILIGENCE.
xxxx
Rule 18.03 A lawyer shall not neglect a matter entrusted to
him, and his negligence in connection therewith shall render him
liable.
Rule 18.04 A lawyer shall keep the client informed of the
status of his case and shall respond within a reasonable time to the
clients request for information.
As if his lack of candor in his professional relationship

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with Antonio was not abhorrent enough, Atty. Ireneo tried

to mislead the appellate court about the receipt of a copy of
its February 10, 1997 Resolution dismissing the appeal in
CA-G.R. CV No. 50075. He denied personally receiving
such copy, but the CA found and declared that he himself
received said copy. The CA arrived at this conclusion thru
the process of comparing Atty. Ireneos signature appearing
in the pleadings with that in the registry return card. Both
signatures belong to one and the same person. Needless to
stress, Atty. Ireneo had under the premises indulged in
deliberate falsehood, contrary to the self-explanatory
prescriptions of Canon 1, Rule 1.01 and Canon 10, Rule
10.01, which provide:
CANON 1 A LAWYER SHALL UPHOLD THE
CONSTITUTION, OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND AND
PROMOTE RESPECT FOR LAW AND LEGAL PROCEDURES.
Rule 1.01 A lawyer shall not engage in unlawful,
dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct.
xxxx
CANON 10 A LAWYER OWES CANDOR, FAIRNESS AND
GOOD FAITH TO THE COURT.
Rule 10.01 A lawyer shall not do any falsehood, nor consent to
the doing of any in court; nor shall he mislead, or allow the
Court to be misled by any artifice. (Emphasis supplied.)
We cannot write finis to this case without delving into

and addressing Atty. Ireneos defiant stance against the
Court as
376
376

demonstrated by his repetitive disregard of its resolution to

file his comment on the basic complaint. After requesting
and securing no less than three (3) extensions of time to file
his comment, he simply closed, so to speak, communication
lines. And when ordered to give an explanation through a
show-cause directive for not complying, he asked for and
was granted a 30-day extension. But the required comment
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never came. When the Court eventually directed the NBI to

arrest him, he just left his last known address and could
not be located.
The Courts patience has been tested to the limit by
what in hindsight amounts to a lawyers impudence and
disrespectful bent. At the minimum, members of the legal
fraternity owe courts of justice respect, courtesy and such
other becoming conduct so essential in the promotion of
orderly, impartial and speedy justice. What Atty. Ireneo has
done was the exact opposite. What is clear to the Court by
now is that Ireneo was determined all along not to submit a
comment and, in the process, delay the resolution of the
instant case. By asking several extensions of time to
submit one, but without the intention to so submit, Ireneo
has effectively trifled with the Courts processes, if not its
liberality. This cannot be tolerated. It cannot be allowed to
go unpunished, if the integrity and orderly functioning of
the administration of justice is to be maintained. And to be
sure, Atty. Ireneo can neither defeat this Courts
jurisdiction over him as a member of the bar nor evade
whereabouts.17 Manifestly, he has fallen short of the
diligence required of every member of the Bar. The
pertinent Canon of the Code of Professional Responsibility
provides:
CANON 12 A LAWYER SHALL EXERT EVERY EFFORT
AND CONSIDER HIS DUTY TO ASSIST IN THE SPEEDY AND
EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
_______________
17 Stemmerik v. Mas, A.C. No. 8010, June 16, 2009, 589 SCRA 114, 119.
377
377

xxxx
Rule 12.03 A lawyer shall not, after obtaining extensions
of time to file pleadings, memoranda or briefs, let the period
lapse without submitting the same or offering an
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explanation for his failure to do so.

Rule 12.04 A lawyer shall not unduly delay a case,
impede the execution of a judgment or misuse Court processes.
(Emphasis supplied.)
A lawyer may be disbarred or suspended for gross

misconduct or for transgressions defined by the rules as
grounds to strip a lawyer of professional license.18
Considering, however, the serious consequences of either
penalty, the Court will exercise its power to disbar or
suspend only upon a clear, convincing, and satisfactory
proof of misconduct that seriously affects the standing of a
lawyer as an officer of the court and as member of the bar.
In Heirs of Tiburcio F. Ballesteros, Sr. v. Apiag,19 the
Court penalized a lawyer who failed to file a pre-trial brief
and other pleadings, such as position papers, leading to the
dismissal of the case with six months suspension. In
Soriano v. Reyes,20 We meted a one-year suspension on a
lawyer for inexcusable negligence, the latter having failed
to file a pre-trial brief leading to the dismissal of the case
and failure to prosecute in another case, and omitting to
apprise complainant of the status of the two cases with
assurance of his diligent attention to them.
In this case, Atty. Ireneo should be called to task for the
interplay of the following: his inexcusable negligence that
resulted in the dismissal of Antonios appeal, coupled by his
lack of candor in not apprising Antonio of the status of his
_______________
18 Fernandez v. De Ramos-Villalon, A.C. No. 7084, February 27, 2009,
580 SCRA 310, 319; citing Concepcion v. Fandio, Jr., A.C. No. 3677,
June 21, 2000, 334 SCRA 137.
19 A.C. No. 5760, September 30, 2005, 471 SCRA 111.
20 A.C. No. 4676, May 4, 2006, 489 SCRA 328.
378
378

appealed case; his attempt to mislead the CA in a vain bid

to evade the consequence of the belated filing of a motion
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for reconsideration; and, last but not least, his cavalier

disregard of the Courts directives primarily issued to
resolve the charges brought against him by Antonio. We
deem it fitting that Atty. Ireneo be suspended from the
practice of law for a period of one year, up from the penalty
recommended by the IBP Board of Governors. This should
serve as a constant reminder of his duty to respect courts of
justice and to observe that degree of diligence required by
the practice of the legal profession. His being a first
offender dictates to large degree this leniency.
The prayer for damages cannot be granted. Let alone the
fact that Antonio chose not to file his position paper before
the IBP-CBD and, therefore, was unable to satisfactorily
prove his claim for damages, a proceeding for disbarment
or suspension is not in any sense a civil action; it is
undertaken and prosecuted for public welfare. It does not
involve private interest and affords no redress for private
grievance.21
WHEREFORE, respondent Atty. Ireneo Aredonia, Jr. is
declared GUILTY of inexcusable negligence, attempting to
mislead the appellate court, misuse of Court processes, and
willful disobedience to lawful orders of the Court. He is
hereby SUSPENDED from the practice of law for a period
of one (1) year effective upon his receipt of this Resolution,
with WARNING that a repetition of the same or similar
acts will be dealt with more severely. Let a copy of this
Decision be
_______________
21 Bellosillo v. Board of Governors of the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines, G.R. No. 126980, March 31, 2006, 486 SCRA 152, 162; citing
Uy v. Gonzales, Adm. Case No. 5280, March 30, 2004, 426 SCRA 422,
430.
379
379

furnished the Office of the Bar Confidant, the Integrated
Bar of the Philippines, and all courts throughout the
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country.
SO ORDERED.
Peralta, Abad, Villarama, Jr.** and Mendoza, JJ.,
concur.
Atty. Ireneo Aredonia, Jr. suspended from practice of law
for one (1) year for inexcusable negligence, attempting to
mislead the appellate court, misuse of Court processes and
willful disobedience to lawful orders of the Court, with
warning against repetition of similar acts.
Note.When a lawyer accepts to handle a case,
whether for a fee or gratis et amore, he undertakes to give
his utmost attention, skill and competence to it, regardless
of its significance. (Ceniza vs. Rubia, 602 SCRA 1 [2009])
o0o
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 657

A.C. No. 4955.September 12, 2011.*

ANTONIO CONLU, complainant, vs. ATTY. IRENEO

Designated Acting Member per Special Order No. 1074 dated 6

Designated Acting Member per Special Order No. 1066 dated 23

SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 657

SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 657

VOL. 657, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011